Mercedes Benz C class Coupe

Between SUVs that pull 1.00 g of lateral grip on the skidpad and sedans that hit 60 mph as quickly as a Ferrari, the definition of a sports car is under constant threat. Modern tires, turbochargers, and transmissions mean all manner of vehicles can now perform like sports cars, and yet the form factor—lightweight, compact minimalism—is increasingly unpopular. Take, for example, this 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe, a 3600-pound car called a sports coupe by its maker that drives more like a luxury sedan.

The new C-class coupe is a larger car than its predecessor, a move made as much for style as it is for interior space. Of the additional 3.1 inches between the wheels, 2.4 inches were inserted between the firewall and front axle. Compared with the car it replaces, the new C-class coupe appears more modern, more expressive, and more expensive. However attractive it is, the coupe isn’t as eye-catching as the C-class sedan from which it’s derived, at least to some of us. The two-door’s character line extends farther over the rear axle and remains flatter, so that the coupe doesn’t have the slinking, reverse-wedge profile that makes the four-door so distinctive.